No Tax Relief for Idaho Private School Donors

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A Senate panel ended hopes of private and religious schools that wanted Idaho to extend a tax break to people who donated to scholarship meant to defray the cost of tuition. The Local Government and Taxation Committee Tuesday voted 7-2 against the plan from Sen. Bob Nonini, a Republican from Coeur d'Alene.

His bill would have created tax credits worth up to $10 million annually. Individual donors could cut their tax liability to zero, while corporations could cut their liability in half. Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill of Rexburg dismissed the idea as "just not fair," arguing it wasn't right to allow donors to benefit at the expense of the rest of the taxpayers.

Private school proponents argued these scholarships would boost school choice for more and more students.